Sophie Wilmès facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sophie Wilmès
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Vice-President of the European Parliament | |
| Assumed office 16 July 2024 |
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| President | Roberta Metsola |
| Prime Minister of Belgium | |
| In office 27 October 2019 – 1 October 2020 |
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| Monarch | Philippe |
| Deputy | Koen Geens Alexander De Croo Didier Reynders (2019) David Clarinval |
| Preceded by | Charles Michel |
| Succeeded by | Alexander De Croo |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium Minister of Foreign Affairs |
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| In office 1 October 2020 – 15 July 2022 |
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| Prime Minister | Alexander De Croo |
| Preceded by | Philippe Goffin (Foreign) David Clarinval (Deputy) |
| Succeeded by | Hadja Lahbib (Foreign) David Clarinval (Deputy) |
| Minister of Budget | |
| In office 22 September 2015 – 27 October 2019 |
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| Prime Minister | Charles Michel |
| Preceded by | Hervé Jamar |
| Succeeded by | David Clarinval |
| Member of the European Parliament for Belgium |
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| Assumed office 16 July 2024 |
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| Constituency | French-speaking electoral college |
| Member of the Chamber of Representatives | |
| In office 15 July 2022 – 9 June 2024 |
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| In office 25 May 2014 – 22 September 2015 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 January 1975 Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium |
| Political party | Reformist Movement |
| Spouse |
Chris Stone
(m. 2002; died 2023) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent | Philippe Wilmès (father) |
| Alma mater | Saint-Louis University, Brussels IHECS |
| Signature |  |
Sophie Wilmès (born 15 January 1975) is a Belgian politician. She made history as the first woman to become the Prime Minister of Belgium. She served in this important role from 2019 to 2020. Later, she became the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2020 to 2022.
Sophie Wilmès is a member of the Reformist Movement political party. She was first elected to the Chamber of Representatives in 2014. Before becoming Prime Minister, she was the budget minister from 2015 to 2019. In 2020, she joined the government of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo as foreign minister. In 2024, she was elected as a Member of the European Parliament and became one of its Vice-Presidents.
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Early Life and Education
Sophie Wilmès was born in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium, on 15 January 1975. Her father, Philippe Wilmès, was a banker and a professor. He was also involved in politics.
Sophie Wilmès studied applied communication at IHECS. She also earned a degree in financial management from Saint-Louis University, Brussels. Before entering politics, she worked for the European Commission. There, she was a financial officer. She also worked as an economic and financial adviser at a law firm.
Political Journey
Sophie Wilmès began her political career in 2000. She became a councillor in Uccle. From 2006 to 2014, she was in charge of finance, budget, and education for the town of Sint-Genesius-Rode. She also served as a provincial councillor for Flemish Brabant province from 2014 to 2015.
In October 2014, she was elected to the Chamber of Representatives. This is like the main parliament in Belgium.
Becoming Budget Minister
In September 2015, Sophie Wilmès was chosen to become the Minister of Budget. She took over this role from Hervé Jamar. In December 2018, her role expanded. She became the Minister of Budget, Civil Service, National Lottery, and Scientific Policy.
First Female Prime Minister
On 27 October 2019, Sophie Wilmès made history. She became the first female Prime Minister of Belgium. She took over from Charles Michel. At first, she led a temporary government. This was while political parties tried to form a new government.
On 16 March 2020, the main political parties agreed to give her government full powers. This was to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. She was given special powers to deal with the health crisis. These powers helped manage the economic and social effects of the pandemic.
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Role as Foreign Minister
On 1 October 2020, Sophie Wilmès took on new roles. She became the deputy prime minister and foreign minister. This made her the first female foreign minister in Belgium's history. She joined the new government led by Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.
In April 2022, Sophie Wilmès announced she would take a break from her government duties. She wanted to spend more time with her family. Her husband had been diagnosed with a serious illness. On 14 July 2022, she officially resigned from the government. However, she remained a member of parliament.
European Parliament
In January 2024, Sophie Wilmès was chosen to lead her party for the European elections. She received many votes, setting a new record in French-speaking Belgium. Her party did very well in this election.
On 16 July 2024, she was elected as a Vice-President of the European Parliament. This is an important role in the European Union.
Personal Life
In 2002, Sophie Wilmès married Chris Stone. He was an Australian businessman. They had three daughters together: Victoria, Charlotte, and Elizabeth. Chris Stone also had a son from a previous relationship.
In October 2020, Sophie Wilmès shared that she had tested positive for COVID-19. She was admitted to the hospital for a short time but recovered.
In July 2022, she stepped down from her government role to care for her husband. He passed away in November 2023.
See also
In Spanish: Sophie Wilmès para niños
